Karnataka Cabinet will have women ministers, says CM Shivakumar
Synopsis
Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar has promised women will enter the Cabinet — but offered no date. With the BJP’s Kiren Rijiju publicly calling out the all-male ministry and Congress under internal pressure, the clock is ticking on a reshuffle that now carries both political and symbolic weight.
Key Takeaways
Shivakumar assured on 8 August that women will be given representation in the Karnataka Cabinet .
The pledge follows criticism from BJP minister Kiren Rijiju over the absence of women in the recently expanded ministry.
Shivakumar countered by citing Congress’s role in passing the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.
The Chief Minister indicated the Cabinet issue ‘will be resolved shortly,’ hinting at a further reshuffle.
Shivakumar’s planned visit to New Delhi has fuelled speculation about consultations with the Congress high command on Cabinet composition.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday, 8 August assured that women would be inducted into the Karnataka Cabinet, responding to mounting pressure within the Indian National Congress (INC) for female representation following the state government's recent Cabinet expansion. The assurance came amid criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the absence of women ministers in the reshuffled ministry.
What Shivakumar Said
“Our Cabinet will certainly have a woman minister. We will give more strength to women,” Shivakumar told reporters at the Vidhana Soudha premises in Bengaluru, where he had gathered to pay floral tributes to former Karnataka Chief Minister S. Nijalingappa on his death anniversary.
The Chief Minister did not specify a timeline for the induction but indicated the matter would be resolved shortly, signalling that a further Cabinet reshuffle or expansion remains on the table.
Shivakumar Hits Back at BJP's Rijiju
Responding directly to Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju's criticism over the all-male composition of the expanded Karnataka Cabinet, Shivakumar defended the Congress's track record on gender representation. “The Congress was responsible for framing the Bill and getting it passed in the Lok Sabha. During the Lok Sabha elections, we had given more seats to women in Karnataka,” he said.
Shivakumar then turned the criticism back on the BJP: “Rijiju need not worry about the Congress. He should think about his own party and government.” The riposte underscores the political sensitivity around the Women’s Reservation Act, which the Congress has sought to claim as its legislative legacy.
The Nijalingappa Tribute
The press interaction followed Shivakumar’s tribute to S. Nijalingappa, a towering figure in Karnataka’s political history who served as both Chief Minister of the state and as president of the Congress party. Shivakumar described him as a leader who embodied simplicity and secular values.
“Nijalingappa was a distinguished leader who brought honour to Karnataka. He played a major role in the movement for Karnataka’s unification and adopted Mahatma Gandhi’s principles,” Shivakumar said. He also credited Nijalingappa with championing key irrigation projects, including the Bhadra and Upper Krishna projects, and noted his prominence at the 1924 Belagavi Congress session.
Shivakumar recalled personal interactions with Nijalingappa and noted that Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is the only other Karnataka leader to have served as national Congress president after Nijalingappa. He added that the Siddaramaiah-led government had taken steps to bring Nijalingappa’s property under government custody to preserve it.
What Comes Next
With the Karnataka Cabinet reshuffle already drawing scrutiny over caste and gender balance, Shivakumar’s pledge to include women ministers will now be closely watched. Asked whether he was travelling to New Delhi, the Chief Minister said, “I have to go, don’t I? We will inform you before we leave” — a remark that fuelled speculation about ongoing consultations with the Congress high command over the Cabinet’s final composition.
Point of View
Not a commitment. The BJP’s Rijiju has handed the Congress an uncomfortable spotlight: a party that legislated women’s reservation nationally has an all-male state Cabinet. The irony is hard to miss, and Congress knows it. The real question is whether Shivakumar’s imminent Delhi visit is about resolving the Cabinet arithmetic or managing a deeper factional dispute that is holding up the reshuffle — one where gender representation is the visible symptom, not the root cause.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Will women get representation in the Karnataka Cabinet?
Yes, Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar has assured that women will be inducted into the Cabinet, saying the issue ‘will be resolved shortly.’ He did not specify a date or the number of women ministers to be included.
Why is the Karnataka Cabinet under criticism for lacking women ministers?
The recently expanded Karnataka Cabinet has no women ministers, drawing public criticism from BJP’s Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. There is also growing internal pressure within the Congress for female representation in the state ministry.
How did CM Shivakumar respond to BJP’s Kiren Rijiju?
Shivakumar defended Congress’s record by pointing to the party’s role in framing and passing the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, and noted that Congress fielded more women candidates in Karnataka during the Lok Sabha elections. He told Rijiju to focus on his own party’s record instead.
What is the significance of CM Shivakumar’s planned visit to New Delhi?
Shivakumar confirmed he would be travelling to New Delhi without specifying the purpose, which has fuelled speculation about consultations with the Congress high command over the pending Cabinet reshuffle and the inclusion of women ministers.
Who was S. Nijalingappa and why did CM Shivakumar pay tribute to him?
S. Nijalingappa was a former Chief Minister of Karnataka and a national president of the Congress party, known for his role in Karnataka’s unification movement and his simplicity in public life. Shivakumar paid floral tributes to his statue at the Vidhana Soudha on his death anniversary on 8 August.
